<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Robot Ghost Story by L_Renee</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25026739">Robot Ghost Story</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_Renee/pseuds/L_Renee'>L_Renee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Portal (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Androids, Comedy, Gen, Horror, One Shot, Psychological Horror, a little bit cliche</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:47:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25026739</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_Renee/pseuds/L_Renee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumors of ghosts abound when strange things begin to happen in an allegedly haunted Extended Relaxation Chamber (android forms).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Robot Ghost Story</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The evening was otherwise peaceful. Testing had just concluded for the day, and GLaDOS had begun to file away the resulting data when the maintenance report arrived. </p><p>“What’s this?” she said aloud. “Maintenance bots, why wasn’t Extended Relaxation Chamber #2049 completed?” she asked more directly. Switching through the camera feeds, she could see the group of maintenance bots huddled on a catwalk, displaying various nervous behaviors. They answered in garbled gibberish similar to the cooperative testing initiative bots. </p><p>“Something’s wrong with it? What?” GLaDOS questioned further. The bots chittered anxiously amongst themselves. One, at last, peered into the camera and began to explain. </p><p>“Am I hearing you correctly? It’s...haunted?” GLaDOS repeated with an edge of amusement. She humored them with a dry laugh. “I didn’t know you were such a jokester, maintenance bot 094. Joking aside...if you don’t finish the work I assigned you, I’ll give you something to truly be afraid of.” </p><p>Yet, the maintenance bots refused to budge. A different one than before chimed in, explaining that strange happenings had plagued the bots that tried to clean and repair the chamber. Shadows would dance on the edges of their vision, they heard odd noises, and the power would flicker; all accompanied by an uncanny sense of dread. One had even begun experiencing malfunctions, and had to be carried out by its coworkers whilst it wailed about having seen a ghost. </p><p>GLaDOS sighed and rubbed her temples. There was no persuading the bots. Something--whatever it may be, though she refused to believe it was anything supernatural--had them truly spooked. She’d just have to send someone else. Someone who was already familiar with the Extended Relaxation Chambers. </p><p>“Wheatley.” </p><p>Not only had he supervised the test subjects before they...expired, but after his unexpected return from space, he’d been charged with cleaning the chambers as punishment for the core transfer. A sentence that was, in the end, only partially fulfilled. </p><p>GLaDOS found him in a nearby hallway, conversing with Rick, Fact, and Space.</p><p>“Wheatley,” she repeated, over the speakers this time, adjusting the camera angle for a better visual on the group. The android in question startled at the sudden voice from behind him, causing Rick to snicker.  </p><p>“<em>Please</em> don’t do that! What is it?” Wheatley complained, turning to face the camera.  </p><p>“What do you know about Extended Relaxation Chamber #2049?” GLaDOS asked. Wheatley paused, perhaps confused by the unusual topic, and shrugged. </p><p>“I, ah, I never got to it. I was going in order, if you recall,” he said thoughtfully. “I walked by that section on my way to and from my room, though. Never liked it. Bit creepy. What...why do you ask?” </p><p>“I need you to take care of it,” GLaDOS said. </p><p>“What? Why?” Wheatley began a bit heatedly. “I--I thought the maintenance bots took over that job! I’m happy to help with anything else around here...well, maybe not anything. Most things. But...nuh-uh. No way.” He crossed his arms and looked away from the camera stubbornly. </p><p>“It wasn’t a request,” GLaDOS replied in a low voice. “Look. It’s just the one, and you know how to do it. The bots refuse to touch the chamber. They say it’s…” she hesitated. “...haunted.” </p><p>Wheatley furrowed his brow in an expression that could only be described as perplexed. Rick and Fact both snorted, followed by a burst of laughter. Space stopped fidgeting. </p><p>“Are you joking right now? Are--are <em>they</em> joking?” Wheatley asked. “Well, all the more reason not to go inside, I suppose.” </p><p>“Again, I’m not asking.” </p><p>“If noodle arms here won’t do it for ya, I’d be happy to. I ain’t afraid of no ghosts, gorgeous,” Rick suddenly chimed in, flexing a bicep for emphasis. Behind the camera, back in the central chamber, GLaDOS rolled her eyes. A pity her face wasn’t visible. </p><p>“Fine, fine! I’ll do it,” Wheatley said decidedly through clenched teeth.    </p><p>“I’ve gotta see this,” Rick said. </p><p>GLaDOS followed them via the facility surveillance cameras. Rick, Fact, and Space, too intrigued by the alleged haunting to disband for the night, chattered eagerly amongst themselves on the way to the Extended Relaxation Chambers.  </p><p>“I think it’s just a bunch of pipes. This place makes weird noises all the time,” Rick theorized. </p><p>“Then how do you explain that other bot malfunctioning?” Fact countered.</p><p>“Coincidence?” Rick replied. </p><p>“Maybe space aliens,” Space said, wiggling his fingers to perhaps simulate otherworldly tentacles. </p><p>“Or...just thinking out loud, here...or, maybe it’s nothing,” Wheatley said with an edge of bitterness. “You’ll see.” </p><p>Leaving the other three standing near the camera, he disappeared off screen, down towards the end of the catwalk. Chamber #2049 was tucked away in a neglected back corner, an unfortunate happenstance that didn’t help to refute the rumors of ghosts. GLaDOS left the camera feed up on one of the monitors and went back to filling the testing data. </p><p>Not five minutes later, she was suddenly interrupted by a loud, familiar scream. </p><p>Her gaze shifted to the camera monitor. Wheatley came barreling back down the catwalk that led to Chamber #2049, shoving past the other stunned androids in a terrified flight that only ended when he ran out of catwalk.  </p><p>“What happened?” GLaDOS demanded, switching the view to the camera nearest Wheatley as the others caught up. </p><p>“It--it really is haunted!” Wheatley stammered in a shrill tone.</p><p>“You’re screwin’ with us!” Rick accused. </p><p>“I am not!” Wheatley shot back angrily. “I went in and I started cleaning as usual, right? I--I started feeling a little strange. Almost like I was being watched. I’m <em>sure</em> I was being watched. And not like being watched through the cameras, it was much more...unsettling. Then, the lights start flickering! So I went over the breaker by the door, you know, see if I can fix them...and suddenly, I got that feeling again. I turned around, and there was something standing in the middle of the room! Where I just was! It didn’t look like an android or a human, either, it was just...a shadow,” he rambled. “That’s when I ran out.” </p><p>“Holy crap. I always took ya for someone scared of his own shadow, but I didn’t think it was this bad,” Rick laughed heartily. </p><p>“You said the lights were flickering...and then you saw a shadow? That’s...to be expected,” GLaDOS said a bit condescendingly.  </p><p>“It wasn’t a normal shadow! It was bloody massive! I didn’t believe the bots either, trust me. I thought ‘there’s no way that’s true’, but...I saw <em>something!</em> I’m sorry, luv, I’m not going back in there,” Wheatley continued, his voice weak and trembling. He was genuinely terrified. </p><p>GLaDOS sighed.</p><p>“Wheatley, ghosts are not real. This is simply psychological. You heard ‘haunted’, and your subconscious did the rest. Your mind was playing tricks on you...which is unusual for an android. Perhaps you’re malfunctioning,” GLaDOS mused. Wheatley made a frustrated noise. </p><p>“I know what I saw,” he said firmly. “Listen, luv...a lot...a lot of humans died here. Maybe it’s not entirely impossible for it to be, ah...haunted.” </p><p>“And who’s fault is that? Anyway, there is no scientific evidence for supernatural phenomena,” GLaDOS replied. “Something’s obviously wrong with the cryo chamber. Someone needs to get in there and take care of the problem.” </p><p>“Not me,” Wheatley muttered. </p><p>“I’ll go,” Fact suddenly offered, stepping forward. “I want to be the one to prove the maintenance bots wrong. Naturally.” </p><p>“I have no objections. As long as it gets done,” GLaDOS said dismissively. She watched Fact disappear around the same corner, his stride confident. </p><p>Minutes passed. As the clock approached the seven minute mark, they heard the crash of a door flung wide, followed by rapid, uneven footsteps on the catwalk. Fact crawled into view, gripping the railing and struggling to stand. </p><p>“I tried,” he said, falling to one knee and leaning his forehead against his hand. Rick exclaimed--just a noise, nothing coherent--and rushed to his side. If his behavior was any indication, Fact couldn’t walk. Rick guided Fact’s arm around his own shoulder, wrapped an arm around Fact’s waist, and hoisted him up off the floor, walking him back to join the group. Pale blue circulatory fluid leaked from a cut above his right eye. </p><p>“Oh, god...the ghost attacked him!” Wheatley wailed. </p><p>“Actually, I just fell,” Fact corrected. </p><p>“What on earth happened?” GLaDOS asked.</p><p>“Firstly, I checked the breaker. I couldn’t find anything wrong. Secondly, I tried adjusting the lightbulbs themselves. Still nothing. Thirdly, I started feeling unwell--I began to hear voices, then I suddenly felt dizzy. I panicked. I tried to leave, but I was so dazed I fell and hit my head on the nightstand. Lastly, I crawled to the door and fled,” Fact explained. He recounted the tale as if going through a checklist--a peculiar habit of his. “I still feel the effects.” </p><p>“That’s it!” Rick declared, lowering Fact to the floor. “I’m goin’ in. I said it before and I’ll say it again--I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!”</p><p>“That’s a double negative,” Fact remarked, curled up with his knees to his chest and waiting for the dizziness to subside. He kept his eyes shut tight. </p><p>“Don’t look away, gorgeous. This is when Rick saves the day,” Rick said decidedly, pointing into the camera. GLaDOS didn’t reply. Rick stormed along the catwalk and vanished from sight. “Ready or not, ghosts!” </p><p>The androids heard the chamber door slam behind him. </p><p>Ten minutes later, Rick returned, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. When he lowered his arm, the others could see he’d been...crying. </p><p>“What’re you guys lookin’ at?” he shouted. “I ain’t cryin’!” </p><p>“Rick, what--” Fact began. </p><p>“I don’t wanna talk about it!” </p><p>Rick crossed his arms and leaned against the railing, facing away from the catwalk. He made a point of hiding his face from the view of the camera. </p><p>The group fell silent. Space stood tugging nervously at the hem of his shirt. Wheatley turned to him. </p><p>“How about you, mate? You want to try?” </p><p>“Nope. No way,” Space muttered, frantically shaking his head.  </p><p>“Sorry, luv,” Wheatley said softly, looking in the direction of the camera but not quite eyeing it directly. GLaDOS looked at the four androids in front of the surveillance camera, all avoiding her ever-present gaze. </p><p>“You’re kidding me,” she said in disbelief. “I would say ‘don’t make me come down there’, but honestly I think we’re well past that point. If I find out this is all an elaborate joke...well, let’s just say you’ll wish a haunted relaxation chamber was your only problem.” </p><p>GLaDOS disconnected herself from the mainframe, as she occasionally did. The cables that connected her released themselves from the ports on the back of her neck with a soft, mechanical noise.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>✦</p>
</div>The mood was heavy and somber when GLaDOS reached the others. Even Rick, leaning back against the catwalk railing and tapping his fingers anxiously against the metal, failed to greet her with one of his flirtatious quips. GLaDOS crossed her arms.<p>“Terribly sorry about this. We--we really tried,” Wheatley said.</p><p>“It’s not a joke,” Rick added seriously, not meeting GLaDOS’s eyes. His tone was uncharacteristically gloomy. “Nobody could get into our heads like that.” </p><p>“Either way, I’m putting an end to this nonsense,” GLaDOS said. </p><p>Her footsteps echoed softly against the metal catwalk in the otherwise silent atmosphere. As she approached Chamber #2049, she began to understand what Wheatley meant by the entire section being creepy. A sense of dread ate away at the back of her mind, the reasoning for which she couldn’t quite place. </p><p><em>It’s all psychological,</em> she thought, reaching out to twist the doorknob. She found it frustrating that her mind could be so easily fooled. </p><p>The chamber door swung open with a high-pitched creak.</p><p>On the surface, Chamber #2049 was, for all intents and purposes, a normal--albeit disheveled--Extended Relaxation Chamber. Decades of neglect had taken their toll. The paint was peeling, metal was rusted, and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. On the bed lay the skeletal remains of a test subject who never woke up from stasis. None of these bothered GLaDOS on such a visceral level that she felt subsequent fear. Nevertheless, she was afraid. A panicked sensation she couldn’t explain set in, and she began to feel...ill. </p><p>“It’s all in my head,” she whispered to herself. As soon as the words left her lips, the lights at the bedside flickered and the microwave buzzed to life. It produced an eerie, unpleasant sound before GLaDOS quickly crossed the room and unplugged it. </p><p>“This is ridiculous,” she muttered in the ensuing silence.  </p><p>The lights flickered once more and--without warning--went out completely, plunging the chamber into darkness. GLaDOS hurriedly switched on her night vision. For a brief moment, she thought she saw something odd dart in and out of her sight just as it was restored. </p><p>“Is someone in here? This cryo chamber is under maintenance. This is not the place nor the time for pranks,” GLaDOS said adamantly. A quick glance of the room turned up nothing, so she checked every place that someone, or something, could conceivably hide--inside the closet, under the bed, behind the shower curtain in the bathroom...even inside the mini fridge. The room was completely empty. </p><p>“What is going on in here?” she said quietly to herself, bracing herself against the chair as a wave of dizziness overcame her. She put a hand to her head and closed her eyes. </p><p>When she opened them again, a dark, unidentifiable mass stood in the center of the room. At the same moment--much like the lights before--her own sight began to flicker. Her night vision, so meticulously maintained before she’d entered the room, abruptly died.  </p><p>GLaDOS let out a startled gasp and stumbled back, knocking over the chair and hitting the edge of the desk on her way to the floor. On her knees, she frantically felt around the desk drawers. There it was. In the top drawer--the emergency flashlight kept in all Extended Relaxation Chambers. She switched it on, trembling, and swept it wildly across the room. The shadow was gone. </p><p><em>It’s nothing. My night vision coincidentally malfunctioned. Come on, I’m not actually letting this nonsense get to me, am I?,</em> she thought. The worst of the dizziness faded, and she got carefully back to her feet. </p><p>“Ghosts do not exist,” she said out loud. “<em>I’m</em> the scariest thing in this facility.” </p><p>As if on cue, she heard a distinct drip of liquid from the bathroom. Then another. <em>A leak,</em> she thought as she crossed the room, flashlight in hand. <em>The pipes are leaking. Noisy pipes. That must be what has everyone so unsettled.</em></p><p><em>Drip. Drip. Drip.</em> GLaDOS aimed the flashlight towards the bathtub. </p><p>“What the hell…?” she muttered. The liquid that leaked from the faucet was a dark, warm-hued color. <em>Human blood?,</em> she thought at first, aghast. <em>No,</em> she discovered upon second glance. It was orange, not red.</p><p>“Is this gel?” she asked aloud, somewhat relieved but no less perplexed. She knelt by the bathtub and touched the puddle near the drain. Her fingers came back slick. “How on earth did propulsion gel get into the pipes?”  </p><p>The voice was soft at first--barely audible, and GLaDOS thought nothing of it, figuring the whispery sound was coming from the piping. It caught her attention when it spoke again. Louder. More distinct. </p><p><em>“I don’t want this.”</em> </p><p>It filled the room, a disembodied whisper that no plumbing could possibly replicate.</p><p>“Who’s there?” GLaDOS demanded, shining the flashlight to every corner of the room. The bathroom tiles were cracked and dated. Another shadow darted out of sight--or had she imagined it? </p><p>She felt lightheaded, and gripped the side of the bathtub to steady herself. The voice whispered unintelligibly from, seemingly, every direction. At one point, she thought she heard a woman scream in the distance. </p><p><em>Drip. Drip. Drip.</em> </p><p>GLaDOS turned back to the bathtub. To her utter shock, it was filled to the brim with an opaque white gel. </p><p>“That’s impossible,” she whispered. The propulsion gel was gone. This was conversion gel, having filled tens of gallons in a matter of moments without so much as a sound. Ever dutiful to her facility, GLaDOS shook off the dizziness and rolled up her sleeve. She carefully submerged an arm into the gel to pull the stopper. Gel oozed over the edge of the basin. </p><p><em>“I don’t want this!”</em> </p><p>The voice whispered harshly, as if it had spoken right into her ear. Startled, GLaDOS jerked her arm away, splattering gel onto herself and the floor, and shuffled back to the wall behind her. Another sweep with the flashlight confirmed she was alone, but the panic that had seized her would not release its hold. </p><p>“This isn’t real,” she whispered. “This isn’t real.” The more she said it, the more she began to doubt the validity of her logic. Shakily, she stood, gripping the edges of the sink and leaning over the basin. The room spun. </p><p>Slowly, she raised her head. In the mirror above the sink, she caught a glimpse of dark hair in the dim light. She raised a hand to her hair, and the hand in the mirror touched its own dark locks. </p><p>Since when had her hair been dark? </p><p>The reflection wore a distinctly different white dress than the one GLaDOS had been wearing when she arrived, along with a red scarf around the neck. The eyes that stared back at her when she lifted her gaze were undoubtedly human--dark brown, rather than gold--and revealed the same terror that she felt. She recognized this face. </p><p>
  <em>“I don’t want this!”</em>
</p><p>GLaDOS dropped the flashlight and fled. Enough was enough--she threw open the door, staggered out onto the catwalk and ran in a blind terror. Ran, that is, until she collided hard with someone standing in the way. Both toppled back onto the floor. </p><p>“Ah…” the other android groaned in pain. Wheatley. “Oh...are--are you okay?” he asked, gently untangling himself and standing to offer her a hand that she didn't take. Noticing her panicked state, he said, “You couldn’t--not even you could do it? I take it you believe us, now?” </p><p>“It’s me? There’s nothing different about me?” GLaDOS asked, tugging at the silvery strands of her hair. </p><p>“Uh...no? I mean, yes--yes, it’s you, no, I don’t see anything...different,” Wheatley replied, rather confused. He adjusted his glasses, squinted at her, and shook his head to confirm.  </p><p>“There was gel…” GLaDOS mumbled, inspecting her hands and clothing. No sign of the gels, either. </p><p>“Seriously, are ya okay?” Rick asked from behind Wheatley. </p><p>“How long was I in there?” </p><p>“About an hour. Sixty-five minutes, to be exact,” Fact replied, evidently having recovered. </p><p>“That’s impossible. It couldn’t have been longer than fifteen minutes,” GLaDOS said. According to her programming, however, the alleged passage of time was correct. She had been inside for over an hour. As her fear began to fade, she noticed the four staring at her, concern in their faces. </p><p>“I’m fine,” GLaDOS insisted as she stood, brushing off her clothing.  </p><p>“What now?” Wheatley asked. “You didn’t find anything? Anything at all?” GLaDOS shook her head.</p><p>“No. But, I still think there’s a logical explanation for all of this,” she said. “We need a different approach. Come with me.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>✦</p>
</div>The team of five regrouped in the central chamber. GLaDOS, reconnected to the mainframe, delved into the system records and began running diagnostics on Chamber #2049.<p>“The diagnostics will take a few minutes, so let’s discuss what we know,” she said. “I want to hear all your stories again. The smallest detail could be important.” </p><p>GLaDOS looked at Wheatley first.  </p><p>“You know I hate being put on the spot like this,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “It’s just like I said. I’ve cleaned over a thousand of those chambers. I don’t think--I didn’t do anything differently, that I recall. But I did feel a bit...sick, right from the start.”  </p><p>“Sick how?” </p><p>“Ah...hard to describe. Anxious? Like something was right behind me the entire time. Not a pleasant feeling, if I’m being honest. And my head felt a bit eh...funny. The lights flickered, I went over to the breaker, and after that is when I saw the--the shadow,” Wheatley replied.  </p><p>“I never saw this so-called shadow figure. Did anyone else see it?” Fact asked skeptically. </p><p>“I saw somethin’,” Rick said quietly. </p><p>“So did I,” GLaDOS confirmed. </p><p>“You--you did? Both of you?” Wheatley said, pleasantly surprised. “Ha! I told you I wasn’t malfunctioning.” </p><p>“What about you, Fact?” GLaDOS questioned.</p><p>“Firstly, I told you everything I remember. I felt the same sickness Wheatley did. I heard voices, became dizzy, fell and hit my head, then left the room,” Fact replied. “But I didn’t see anything.” </p><p>“Oh! Oh, oh, oh! We both touched the breaker, didn’t we?” Wheatley said excitedly. “Maybe there’s...ah, I don’t know...an electrical current or something.” </p><p>“I didn’t touch the breaker,” GLaDOS refuted. </p><p>“Neither did I,” Rick muttered. </p><p>“Ah, well. Worth a try, I suppose,” Wheatley said a bit sheepishly.</p><p>The androids turned their attention to Rick. There was a moment of silence as he stubbornly pretended he didn’t notice, before he glared back at them. </p><p>“Said I don’t wanna talk about it,” he growled. </p><p>“How can you call yourself an adventurer if you won’t help solve this case?” GLaDOS asked, her tone thick with mock sympathy. Rick furrowed his brow further--if that was possible--and sighed in a gruff, frustrated manner. </p><p>“Started with the same sick feelin’ as those two,” he began slowly. “I didn’t touch anythin’. Just sat in the corner chair for a while to see what happened. Darin’ the bastard to show itself. And it sure did.” Rick’s words were low and dramatic. He shook his head. “Big ol’ shadow appeared in the corner. Black as night. I stood up to confront it, but the second I did I started feelin’ real dizzy. Next thing I know I’m on the floor, hearin’ voices. I thought I was goin’ crazy.” </p><p>Rick looked away, hesitating. When he began again, his voice quaked. </p><p>“The voice...belonged to a real fine girl I’d been seein’. Years ago. Worked in turret production.” A bittersweet smile crept across his face. “Sweetest thing you ever met. I thought it would be fun to take her to ride the redemption line. Ya gotta jump off at the last second, see? Thing is...she got stuck. Couldn’t get off. And I...I couldn’t save her.” Rick sank to his knees on the floor in tears. </p><p>“It’s all my fault! While I was in that room she kept sayin’, ‘why’d ya let me die?’, ‘why’d ya let me die, Rick?’” he wailed. The others were silent while he mourned, gaping in shock. </p><p>“Oh, god…” Wheatley finally said softly. Space began to sniffle and sob. Fact knelt down beside Rick and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. </p><p>“That story sounds...familiar,” GLaDOS said thoughtfully. “A0000 00136?” </p><p>“She had a name!” Rick screamed. </p><p>“<em>Has</em> a name. She isn’t dead. She underwent repairs and was transferred to another department,” GLaDOS said. Rick ceased his sobbing and looked up at her in disbelief. </p><p>“But...wait, are you freakin’ kidding me?” he roared. “Nobody told me? She didn’t--I can’t believe I just--”</p><p>Fact grimaced. </p><p>“Ooh. That’s, uh...that’s unfortunate, mate,” Wheatley said through his teeth. “Awkward.”  </p><p>“You see? It can’t possibly be supernatural if you heard someone that isn’t actually dead,” GLaDOS concluded.</p><p>“Not dead?” Space asked, wiping tears from his cheeks. </p><p>“Nobody’s dead, mate,” Wheatley said. “Anyway, uh, moving on. GLaDOS? You--you went inside last.”  </p><p>GLaDOS nodded. </p><p>“I also experienced the malaise, dizziness, and voices--that’s something the four of us have in common,” she began. “In my case, the lights went out completely. I was using my night vision when I saw the shadow. Oddly enough, that malfunctioned as well.” </p><p>The others paused, staring at her expectantly. </p><p>“That’s it?” Fact questioned. “You were inside for over an hour. And it certainly seemed like something had you scared.” </p><p>“Like I said, I don’t remember being inside for that long. I may have blacked out at some point,” GLaDOS replied coolly, electing not to tell them about the mirror. </p><p>“You said something about...being different? And something about gel, too,” Wheatley recalled, in attempt to be helpful. “Oh...uh, unless you...don’t want to talk about it,” he added quickly when she shot him a threatening glance. </p><p>“No way! If I had to talk about it, so does she!” Rick griped.</p><p>“I don’t <em>have</em> to do anything,” GLaDOS said firmly. “And anyway, I don’t remember what I said or why I might’ve said it. Sorry to disappoint.” </p><p>The others knew better than to provoke her further. They stayed silent as she turned back to the monitor to assess the diagnostic results. </p><p>“Odd. None of the equipment is malfunctioning. There are recurring power surges, but why?” GLaDOS reported, her tone thoughtful. “No faulty equipment. All of us felt ill. All but one of us heard voices, and all but one of us saw the shadow. Something’s causing these symptoms remotely. What am I missing?” </p><p>“Aliens?” Space suggested. </p><p>“Unlikely,” GLaDOS replied absentmindedly. </p><p>“Space? Moon rocks?” Space continued. “Gravity? Black holes? Event horizon? Magnetic fields? Wormholes--” </p><p>“Wait, what did you say?” GLaDOS asked. </p><p>“Wormholes!” Space repeated eagerly. </p><p>“No, no, before that. Magnetic fields. That’s it,” GLaDOS said. “That would explain the effects we felt. But where is it coming from?” </p><p>“Firstly, that doesn’t explain anything. It’s a well-known fact that ghosts can create disturbances in magnetic fields,” Fact said arrogantly. “Secondly, the most obvious course of action here is to perform an exorcism. We’ll need mineral water and black pepper.” </p><p>“Pretty sure it’s holy water and salt,” Rick said.</p><p>“Oh, for god’s sake. Nobody is exorcising anything,” GLaDOS said curtly. “The maintenance closet near the neurotoxin generator should have electromagnetic field detectors. Help yourselves.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>✦</p>
</div>“I--I told you before, I’m not going back in there,” Wheatley pleaded. “I don’t even know how this thing works! Guess I’m not...qualified for the job.”<p>“I just need a few quick readings. You’ll all be together this time,” GLaDOS said, tapping away at a small, portable monitor.</p><p>“Wait a second, you ain’t comin’ with us?” Rick questioned, narrowing his eyes. </p><p>“No. Someone needs to direct this operation. Besides, the three of you are more than enough,” GLaDOS replied. “You’re all connected. I can see everything you see.” </p><p>The screen split into three separate camera feeds, each displaying what the androids saw through their own eyes. </p><p>“Whoa, that’s cool!” Wheatley said. He peered at the monitor, creating an infinite feedback loop on his portion of the screen, labeled with his serial number. “Ooh, brilliant.” </p><p>“The implications behind this technology are...unsettling,” Fact remarked, waving a hand in front of his face. </p><p>“I kinda like those implications.” Rick grinned devilishly.  </p><p>“If it makes you feel any better, only I have permission to access this. I’ve only ever used it a few times with the maintenance bots,” GLaDOS assured, ignoring Rick’s comment. “Go ahead. Whenever you’re ready.” </p><p>She--and Space, watching from a safe distance--stayed far enough from the chamber so that any magnetic field present would not interfere with the monitor. </p><p>“My friends are brave,” Space said. He watched the three others depart towards Chamber #2049 in awe.  </p><p>“Ah, you go first, mate,” Wheatley said, stepping backwards behind Fact at the door.</p><p>“Firstly, I’m not going first. Rick, <em>you</em> go first,” Fact insisted, nudging Rick forward. </p><p>“What? Why do I gotta go first?” Rick argued. “I should go last. That way if the ghost gobbles ya up, I can avenge ya both.” </p><p>“<em>Someone</em> open the door,” GLaDOS growled. Space peered over her shoulder to watch in a way she found rather annoying. </p><p>“Fine! I’ll do it. Bunch of pansies,” Rick snapped. He reached for the knob with a trembling hand. Hesitating only a moment, he flung the door open and jumped back, as if he expected something to be waiting right behind it. The lights had flickered, dim and dying, back to some semblance of life. Rick cautiously stepped into the room, followed by Fact, resigned to his fate, and Wheatley, visibly distressed. The door shut tight behind them. Right away, the EMF meters responded.  </p><p>“I--I don’t feel so well,” Wheatley immediately complained, fiddling with the device. It beeped loudly, once, and he dropped it with a startled yelp. </p><p>“That equipment is sensitive,” GLaDOS scolded from outside. Wheatley mumbled an apology. As he stooped to retrieve the device, he noticed a wet footprint on the carpet. Looking up, he could see that they led from the bathroom to the front door--and on the bathroom tile, near the sink, was a dying flashlight. The bathmat had a certain impression, as if someone had been kneeling for an extended period of time. </p><p>“Who--” he began softly. He was interrupted by a loud, incoherent cry. Rick pointed frantically to an empty space on the wall across from him. </p><p>“D--d’ya see it?” he wailed, voice trembling. “That shadow bastard’s back! Right there!” The others followed his gaze. </p><p>“There’s nothing there,” Fact said. </p><p>“What d’ya mean, nothin’? It’s right there!” Rick cried shrilly. He shook the EMF detector in his hand. “And this gizmo’s goin’ crazy! It really is a ghost! Are you guys screwin’ with me? Because it ain’t funny!” </p><p>“Nothing’s there, Rick. It’s not real,” GLaDOS assured. She saw nothing unusual on the monitor. </p><p>“You’re kiddin’ me!” Rick yelled. </p><p>“This is a good thing. It confirms that this phenomena is all in our heads,” GLaDOS said. </p><p>“Easy for you to say!” </p><p>“Oh no...not again,” Fact suddenly remarked. He sank to his knees on the floor and buried his head in his hands. “It’s real. It’s real. It said so itself,” he muttered in terror, dropping his device and cupping his palms over his ears.</p><p>“Oh...I don’t feel well,” Wheatley repeated, fear evident in his voice. The lights flickered, buzzing with electrical noise. There was another scream and a loud crash. Wheatley was on the floor, having knocked over the desk lamp on the way down. </p><p>“Ah...my--my head is spinning!” he said. “What--what is <em>that?</em> Please tell me you see that, too! R--Rick? GLaDOS, do you see that?” His voice was high-pitched and terrified, pointing shakily at something unseen above the bed. </p><p>“There is nothing--Wheatley, it doesn’t help if you close your eyes--there’s nothing there,” GLaDOS said. “This is simply the effect of a magnetic field. The readings don’t lie. If I could just pinpoint the source...could you move--” </p><p>“It’s real! I see it! I can’t take it anymore, I’ve got to get out of here!” Fact shrieked, scrambling dazedly to his feet and staggering towards the door. He collided with Wheatley--who let out a pained noise--on the way out, tripping and falling hard to the floor. Fact clawed his way towards the exit, crawling on hands and knees and swaying under the lack of coordination.</p><p>Rick, too, was gripping the corner chair tightly, struggling to keep his balance.</p><p>“It’s not gonna let us leave!” he cried, then he let out a shout. “Fact! It’s--it’s right in front of ya! It’s blockin’ the door!” </p><p>Fact screamed with terror. </p><p>“Get ahold of yourselves!” GLaDOS chastised.  </p><p>“Oh god, oh god, oh god, we’re gonna die!” Wheatley sobbed. “This is the part where it kills us!” Fact shoved him out of the way and crawled under the desk. </p><p>“I ain’t dyin’ here, man! We gotta break outta this hellhole!” Rick screamed, picking up the toppled desk chair and throwing it uselessly towards the door. </p><p>“We’re trapped! I don’t want to die!” Fact wailed. </p><p>“Enough of this nonsense. I’m cutting the power,” GLaDOS announced. With the press of a button, she shut down the entire section. Three distinct screams rang out as the terrified androids were left in the dark. “Turn on your night vision, you idiots!” </p><p>Rick’s section of the monitor transitioned to night vision first, followed by Wheatley, sobbing quietly, and then Fact. The latter whimpered inaudibly to himself.</p><p>“Feel better?” GLaDOS asked. Now that the power was out, she could safely approach the chamber with the monitor. </p><p>“That shadow’s gone,” Rick remarked, his voice still weak. Fact shook his head frantically. </p><p>“That’s what it wants us to think,” he argued.</p><p>“I--I guess I don’t feel sick anymore,” Wheatley stammered.   </p><p>GLaDOS waited just outside. She happened to take a closer look at the outside of the unit, where something in particular caught her eye. </p><p>“Oh, for god’s sake,” she said to herself. “This was all just an illusion, perfectly explainable by science. Come out here and see,” she continued, directing her statement at the others.  </p><p>“Sounds like something a ghost would say to lure us into its clutches,” Fact said stubbornly. “Don’t fall for it, guys.”</p><p>“You know what is most definitely not haunted? Android Hell. Get out here,” GLaDOS retorted, deactivating the remote view for each of them. The door swung open, and one by one, the androids stumbled out onto the catwalk, wearily awaiting an explanation. GLaDOS walked closer to the chamber and pointed to a thick metal cable on the exterior walls.  </p><p>“This wire isn’t supposed to be here,” GLaDOS remarked, inspecting the cable more closely. “It coils around the entire chamber. Look.” She gestured to the corner, where the same wire looped back around. “That’s why you couldn’t locate the source from the inside. The entire chamber is the electromagnet.” </p><p>What followed was a moment of stunned silence from the other androids as they stared, dazed and dumbfounded, at the cable. </p><p>“So...there were no ghosts after all?” Rick asked tentatively.</p><p>“Of course not. This explains everything. We <em>were</em> experiencing malfunctions, most notably to our auditory and visual processes. To put it simply, we were hallucinating,” GLaDOS said.</p><p>“A bloody magnet did all that? Are you joking?” Wheatley said.</p><p>“I knew it all along,” Fact scoffed. </p><p>“Magnetic fields after all?” Space questioned quietly from beside GLaDOS.  </p><p>“The question remains; how did this happen?” GLaDOS asked. Her question had a rhetorical edge to it, and she eyed one android in particular. “Wheatley?” </p><p>He seemed just as surprised by the accusation as the others. </p><p>“<em>You</em> did this?” Rick shouted. </p><p>“N-no! At least, I don’t think I did!” Wheatley said with great distress. He looked at GLaDOS with wide, pleading eyes. “What--what are you blaming <em>me</em> for? I told you, I never got to this chamber! Never touched it! I <em>never</em> touched it!” </p><p>“Not after you returned, no. But you worked in the Extended Relaxation Center before that. You were in charge of the test subjects. While I was checking the records, I noticed a maintenance order from decades ago, requested by the test subject inside. A maintenance order that <em>you</em> completed,” GLaDOS countered. She narrowed her eyes. “This has your handiwork written all over it.”</p><p>“Maintenance order...maintenance order…” Wheatley mumbled nervously, bouncing up and down in place as he tried to recall the event. “Oh! I--I think I remember. The test subject complained that, uh, that the telly wasn’t receiving enough power.” </p><p>“So you...made the chamber into an electromagnet?” GLaDOS questioned slowly. </p><p>“No, actually, I was trying to reroute the power. I found that wire in the maintenance closet, plugged it in, wrapped it around the walls--keep it nice and tidy, you know, how you like it--rearranged some cables, and plugged it into the telly. Test subject seemed satisfied,” Wheatley replied matter-of-factly. </p><p>“Wheatley, you’re so freakin’ stupid,” Rick whispered. </p><p>“I am not!” Wheatley shot back angrily. “I am not stupid! You know how many of those bloody test subjects I had to attend to? Huh? <em>Thousands,</em> mate. Thousands of human test subjects with their petty human complaints. I’d like to see <em>you</em> get it right every time!”  </p><p>“Enough, both of you,” GLaDOS snapped. </p><p>“So...uh...anyway. Complete accident. Who would’ve thought? An accidental electromagnet...honestly, I’m a little impressed. I always considered myself a bit of an engineering genius. And...um...we figured it out! Go team! That’s solved, great job everyone...please, <em>please</em> don’t send me back to Android Hell,” Wheatley rambled anxiously, shrinking under the judgemental gazes cast in his direction. </p><p>GLaDOS sighed. </p><p>“Just clean the chamber--now. And make sure you remove that wire,” she said. She grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and yanked him close. “Don’t do it again.” </p><p>“Not--not a problem! Not a problem at all,” Wheatley said nervously. She released him with a light shove. </p><p>“I’m going to bed,” Fact mumbled bitterly as he turned to leave. </p><p>“Well, that was one hell of an adventure. Your deduction skills never fail to impress, gorgeous,” Rick flashed a wide grin and winked at GLaDOS. “Heck, if you’re not doin’ anything after this, maybe you and I--”</p><p>“Leave,” GLaDOS said. </p><p>“Rain check, got it. Another time, beautiful,” Rick added slyly before making a hasty retreat. GLaDOS looked to Space, standing back by the railing.</p><p>“Your theory was correct. Thank you for your contribution,” GLaDOS said. Space smiled, quite pleased with himself, before following his friends down the catwalks and out of sight.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Wheatley mumbled quietly once they were alone. </p><p>“I would say ‘no harm done’, but that would be a lie. At least it’s been resolved,” GLaDOS replied. </p><p>“Uh, by the way...what happened in the bathroom?” he asked. “That was you, right? Nobody else mentioned it.”</p><p>GLaDOS paused. </p><p>“Just a hallucination,” she said. “I don’t want to discuss it.” </p><p>“Alright...if you’re sure. I’m...you know, if you ever want to discuss it...I’m here,” Wheatley said. “I just know you don’t scare easily, so...ah, unless it’s birds. Oh! Did you see a bird? Or...a <em>ghost</em> bird?” </p><p>GLaDOS raised an eyebrow. </p><p>“Right...right, not discussing,” Wheatley said sheepishly. “Anyway, uh, whatever it was that I put you through with...this...” He gestured vaguely to the chamber. “...I’m sorry. Really.”</p><p>“I appreciate it.”  </p><p>“Right, I guess I’ll...get to work on this chamber, then,” Wheatley said a bit awkwardly. GLaDOS, with a final nod, departed for the night. Wheatley, with a heavy sigh, shoulders slouched with exhaustion already, entered Chamber #2049 again to begin disconnecting the cable from the television before daring to restore any power. The room was lifeless and dark. As he passed the desk, he happened to notice the lamp, upright and untouched. </p><p>“Didn’t...didn’t I knock that over? Ah, well...I suppose I imagined that too,” Wheatley mused. “Not so scary now, are you, Extended Relaxation Chamber #2049?” he added smugly, drawing out the name. To emphasize his point, or perhaps express his frustrations, he jabbed the lampshade with one finger, leaving it tilted to one side. </p><p>He turned his back to go about his work, and didn’t notice the lampshade subtly right itself once more.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>